The sun is shining, the weather is predicted to stay fine for the foreseeable future - see the Met Office's latest forecast here - and May half term 2023 is upon us. If you are thinking about how to keep the kids occupied then don't worry as there is plenty going on in Wales, including some great festivals.
May half term is running from Saturday, May 27 to Sunday, June 4. You can keep up to date with the latest What's On news by signing up to the newsletter here.
Here are some of the great events you can enjoy this May half term in Wales.
READ MORE: Best flight deals out of Cardiff Airport in June from just £20
1. Zip World Aero Explorer
Zip World has launched a new attraction, the Aero Explorer at their Penrhyn Quarry site in north Wales. Aero Explorer will take you on a high-speed journey across the quarry like never before.
Feel the anticipation building as you climb the two spiral towers before launching off and gliding across 400m of track. As you go, you'll soar above the rugged terrain, taking in breathtaking views of the quarry landscape.
You can book the Aero Explorer on the Zip World website here.
2. The Big Banquet
You can enjoy Street Food Circus' latest food festival at the start of half term. The Big Banquet is taking place at the historic setting of Caldicot Castle.
Taking place from Saturday, May 27 to Monday, May 29, The Big Banquet will be hosting not only street food traders but performers, DJs, buskers and even fire shows too. Tickets for the event are available to purchase on The Big Banquet website with two sessions in the daytime and evening available on Saturday and Sunday.
There is one daytime session on Bank Holiday Monday. Tickets are £5 plus the booking fee and kid's tickets are free. While booking is recommended, walk-ins for tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can read more about the festival here.
3. Magic and May-Hem at Fonmon Castle
Fonmon Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan is kicking off the next bank holiday and half term with a weekend of magic and mayhem featuring magicians, magic and a quest hunt. From Saturday, May 27 to Monday, May 29 the 'Magic and May-Hem' weekend includes an adventure challenge taking players around Fonmon’s extensive estate through woods and gardens, the Jurassic Wales dinosaur park and the Medieval Court and Grange searching for the ‘magic word’ which will conjure up a chocolate gift.
Along the way, questers will meet wizards, witches and owls. The event will also give visitors complete access to the whole estate including its playgrounds, castle gardens, pirate play area and story trail.
Admission tickets are £11-£13 for adults and £10-£11 for children.
4. Innoflate
A new attraction and fun for all the family is coming to Newport. Innoflate is Scotland’s leading multi-generational inflatable park and is opening its first park in Wales, in Newport, just in time for half term.
Innoflate is a big inflatable park full of slides, obstacle courses and games. The course is not just for children, making it the perfect day out for all the family.
Innoflate will be opening at Unit 2, Newport Retail Park Seven Stiles Avenue, Newport, NP19 4QR on Saturday, May 27 and you can book here.
5. Cadw sites
From Saturday, May 27 to Sunday, June 4 Cadw sites including an ancient fortress, abbeys, and castles are playing host to a wide range of historical and cultural activities providing an exciting day out for the whole family.
This includes Men at Arms at Beaumaris Castle where you can train to be a medieval knight at Beaumaris Castle’s Knight’s School for Children, learning how to attack and defend the castle in combat. Adults can master basic sword fighting skills and find out about weapons used in the medieval period.
There will also be a jester's circus skills workshop and families will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in medieval Wales through cooking displays, medieval medicine, music, leather work, and storytelling for ‘townspeople’ to enjoy. At Harlech Castle, there will be re-enactment-style events and the castle will be hosting its very own tournament of fully armoured knights in battle.
Participating Cadw sites will also be running a summer of stories where during your visit to any participating Cadw site, join a storyteller to experience the best of Welsh tale-spinning, including historical characters, legends, myths, culture, and heritage. You can get more information about all the events on the Cadw website.
6. Hay Festival
The yearly Hay Festival is back in Hay-on-Wye - with Stormzy and Dua Lipa among the line up. There are lots of different events to enjoy from literacy talks, famous guests, yoga, food, drink and craft stalls and much more. And, of course, for young festival goers there's a great children's programme of events.
The festival is running from Thursday, May 25 to Sunday, June 4. Both Stormzy and Dua feature on Saturday, June 3. You can book your tickets and find out everything you need to know about the festival on their website.
7. How The Light Gets In festival
Hay-on-Wye is welcoming another festival this half term with the How The Light Gets In festival. As the world's largest music and philosophy festival there will be speakers, music, comedy, long table banquets and more.
The festival is running from Friday, May 26 to Monday, May 29. You can book your tickets here and children aged 12 and under go free.
8. In It Together Festival
If it is a music festival you are after, look no further than Port Talbot. After debuting for the first time in 2022 the In It Together Festival is back. Read everything you need to know about it here.
Artists this year include The Kooks, James Bay, Anne-Marie, The Vamps and Chase & Status. The festival is running from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 29. You can book your tickets here.
9. Newport Brick Festival
If you or your children love Lego you can enjoy a great day out at the Newport Brick Festival, which is a Lego fan event. The festival is being held at the International Convention Centre in Newport.
There will be lots to see and do including speed building competitions, large-scale displays, activities, traders selling loose bricks, new LEGO sets, retired LEGO sets, minifigures and accessories plus a dedicated building area. The festival is running on Saturday, May 27 and you can buy your tickets here.
10. Urdd Eisteddfod
The Urdd Eisteddfod is one of Europe's largest youth touring festivals where children and young people under the age of 25 compete during the Eisteddfod week in various competitions such as singing, dancing and performing. The festival is being held in Llandovery in Carmarthenshire and will run from Monday, May 29 to Saturday, June 3. You can buy your tickets here.
11. Let's Rock The Retro Festival and Jack Savoretti at Bute Park
Cardiff city centre will be packed with music during the Bank Holiday weekend and there are two big gigs at Bute Park. Let's Rock The Retro Festival will kick things off on Saturday, May 27 when '80s favourites including Soft Cell, Wet Wet Wet, Imagination and Tony Hadley are among the line up. The following day on Sunday, May 28, Jack Savoretti will be entertaining music lovers in the park.
For full details of The Retro Festival click here and for Jack Savoretti click here.
12. School of Magic at Gwrych Castle
Running from Saturday, May 27 to Sunday, June 4 there is the School of Magic at Gwrych Castle, the former home of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!, where children will meet the wild and wacky interactive characters, take part in the Magic School Supplies scavenger hunt and will attend spellbinding challenges/lessons throughout the visitor route, where there is even broom flight school.
Tickets start at £7.50 for children, £10 for adults and £37.50 for families. You can book your tickets here.
13. Kings of Leon at Wrexham
American band Kings of Leon is performing two shows in Wrexham on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. The band will be performing at the home of Wrexham AFC, the Racecourse Ground. You can read more about the concerts here.
14. Park in the Past festival
Happening in Flintshire is the Park in the Past festival where visiting re-enactment groups from across Europe will establish a period military camp at the garrison. There they will assume the daily tasks of a Roman soldier such as combat training, camp maintenance and building rampart defences.
All infantrymen on site will be in full Roman auxiliary or legionnaire attire. During the festival, they will live on-site as legitimate historical characters. Visitors will be able to get up close to discover the reality behind Rome’s conquering invaders.
For younger warriors, the programme includes a “kids’ army” formed from Roman army training. There are also ancient painting exercises, an art exhibition by artist Graham Sumner and a chainsaw creation of a statue of Minerva.
The festival will run from Saturday, May 27 to Sunday, June 4. It is £8 for adults and £4 for children at the weekends and £3.50 for adults and £2 for children during the week.
15. Llanelli Wetland Centre
There is lots going on at the Llanelli Wetland Centre, with activities happening every day of half term. This includes pond dipping, marvellous minibeasts and flamingo talk.
For more information visit the Llanelli Wetland Centre website here.
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